This is a dedicated thread for Phantom soldering discussion and firmware discussion, a repository of all Phantom related files and information, one stop shop for all your Phantom technical needs. This page should be open for editing so everyone can update this page with latest information.

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Interesting locations on PCB to watch out for: [ Specified attachment is not available ]39094[/ATTACH]

Here is a video that demostrates how to make a costar stabilizer bar by hand. You need a Du-Bro E/Z Bender (0-90 degrees and Z bend). Wire need to be 3/64 inch music wire that you can find at hobby shops. I found the ones I use at Hobby Town USA. It is called K&S Precision Metals Stock # 502 0.047 Music Wire (1.19mm).

Schematic: [ Specified attachment is not available ]39096[/ATTACH]

Removing switches without desoldering:

Future Firmware Feature List:

NKRO over USB while maintaining BIOS boot compatibility

multiple layers

media keys

programmable macros

reset with key combos without opening up the case to push the reset button on Teensy for easy flashing

One nit pick... The firmware is BIOS compatible as it is. One of my friends says it sometimes doesn't some "online" quickly enough to be able to hit F2 or Del or whatever to access the BIOS. There is a _delay_ms(2000) (originally from the pjrc code) when initiating. This delay could probably be shortened, I'm not entirely sure why it is needed.

The delay is needed to wait for initialization of the host end of the USB protocol because power is applied immediately on power-on and the host end needs to boot its firmware. 2 seconds is on the very large side, I'd expect 500ms to be sufficient in 99% of systems. If you cascade several hubs between the KB and system then 2 seconds may be needed, but then you won't be hitting the BIOS in that case anyway.

One nit pick... The firmware is BIOS compatible as it is. One of my friends says it sometimes doesn't some "online" quickly enough to be able to hit F2 or Del or whatever to access the BIOS. There is a _delay_ms(2000) (originally from the pjrc code) when initiating. This delay could probably be shortened, I'm not entirely sure why it is needed.

Sorry, my mistake. While copy and pasting that chunk of text, formatting was lost, and when I reformatted the lines, I added an CR to split that line. I think the correct description should be NKRO over USB while maintaining BIOS boot compatibility. I think there is a Teensy firmware version from Soarer that has NKRO but without BIOS boot compatibility, but he later said that it is possible to do both in the same firmware, he just had done it yet.

Ähm, if I look at your pictures and remember the discussion about "normal" vs. vintage Cherry MX switches...The two switches at the lower end of your picture are from the same source???Their Cherry logos look different!

All my switches came from very old Wyse and Cherry POS keyboards. The switch bottoms came from old Wyse plate-mounted switches. The stems and springs came from an old Cherry POS keyboard with browns. Since I have mixed all the parts together, I don't remember if the switch tops were from the Wyse blacks, or Cherry POS browns. But they are all pretty old. The feel of the Phantom is different than my Filco browns, in a very good way IMO. I love typing on the Phantom now. I don't know if it is the switches, the aluminum plate, the PCB, or a combination of all.

Thanks for the picture. Honestly I think the idea of that plate design is pure genius, yet I'm not sure if I prefer it over the regular one.

You can certainly open those switches without soldering, but desoldering a whole board takes less than half hour when you have a little experience with the soldering iron, and even if you don't have any experience at all, it is still very basic skill that worth learning.

My concern is that design could potentially further increase the wobble of the upper switch case(Koreans even developed special stickers to minimize and reduce this effect). You can easily verify this by putting a keycap on a single switch and shake the top of the keycap. Also one could accidentally open the switches while removing the keycaps, and those little gaps could trap a lot of dirt, dust and hair.

The switches could be cleaned, lubed and modded prior assembly. If you use a good lubricant like the RO-59, you are probably good for life, and you don't need to open those switches anymore.

All my switches came from very old Wyse and Cherry POS keyboards. The switch bottoms came from old Wyse plate-mounted switches. The stems and springs came from an old Cherry POS keyboard with browns. Since I have mixed all the parts together, I don't remember if the switch tops were from the Wyse blacks, or Cherry POS browns. But they are all pretty old. The feel of the Phantom is different than my Filco browns, in a very good way IMO. I love typing on the Phantom now. I don't know if it is the switches, the aluminum plate, the PCB, or a combination of all.

Judging by that new Cherry logo, the switch tops are from the Cherry POS. The WYSE has an older logo.

I think the plate design is awesome. I was amazed again when I just popped open the switch top with 2 tiny screw drivers in a few seconds to take the picture. I am using Cherry keycaps on it now, so they are not tight as Filco keycaps. I have switched keycaps a few times already and no switch tops popped off when I pulled keycaps off. From reading DragonBro's post on a Chinese forum, he mentioned the stckers from Korea is for covering the open gaps around the switch so no dust and crap can fall into the switch or let the lube dry out. But maybe there are different stickers for different effects. Or the stickers can do what you said as well.

I will give the switches a shake test. From using it the last couple of weeks, I haven't felt any shakiness with the keys and switches.

Also, you can't just keep soldering and desoldering over and over again if you keep modding your switches. You can, but you will soon damage the PCB. With the phantom plate, you can do it without desoldering and soldering, and you don't even need to open up the case. And you don't need the tools and skills to solder and desolder to swap switches.

I have those stickers, and they don't cover those open gaps around the switches, but indeed they can help keeping the dust outside of the switches. Maybe I can ask a local company to replicate my stickers and organize a group buy.

Like I said the stickers are designed to fill up the space between the lower and upper switch case in order to reduce the play and minimize the switch wobble. If you remove the keycap next to the switch you want test for wiggle, you will notice that the upper switch case is having a tendency to move.I suspect the Phantom plate design is prone to emphasize this little issue even more. I don't try to bash it. All I'm saying that while it is very convinient, but it definitely has its down sides.

Quote

Also, you can't just keep soldering and desoldering over and over again if you keep modding your switches. You can, but you will soon damage the PCB. With the phantom plate, you can do it without desoldering and soldering, and you don't even need to open up the case. And you don't need the tools and skills to solder and desolder to swap switches.

No disrespect, but in case of the FR4 PCB it is very unlikely that you will ever damage it. The switches could be cleaned, lubed and modded prior assembly, and there is no need to open them after that. Also I don't think that a $10 soldering iron and a wick are such a big investments. After all this is geekhack.

Like I said the stickers are designed to fill up the space between the lower and upper switch case in order to reduce the play and minimize the switch wobble. If you remove the keycap next to the switch you want test for wiggle, you will notice that the upper switch case is having a tendency to move.

I can see it wobble on my Filco, compared to the massive stem/keycap wobble I'd be hard pressed to notice it when typing.

Do you think it is possible for us to get some Group buy for vinyl stickers?

Quote from: alaricljs;504285

Vinyl stickers for what?

So presuming that you are talking about the cherry switch stickers, vinyl is the wrong choice. The real deal I believe are made of paper, possibly some fiber reinforced stuff but definitely not vinyl. Vinyl is far too easily deformed for that to work.

I see what you mean, RiGS. I suspect that the cut out isn't too big of a problem since the switch top isn't resting on the area where the extra cutout is. But I could see it could be less structually stable by a little bit. Hard to say. If I have time I will take close up HD movie of shaking a switch on phantom and on a Filco to see if there is any difference. Wish I still have the high speed 600fps Casio camera to take super slow mo movie of the switch while shaking it. That would be cool.

I see what you mean, RiGS. I suspect that the cut out isn't too big of a problem since the switch top isn't resting on the area where the extra cutout is. But I could see it could be less structually stable by a little bit. Hard to say. If I have time I will take close up HD movie of shaking a switch on phantom and on a Filco to see if there is any difference. Wish I still have the high speed 600fps Casio camera to take super slow mo movie of the switch while shaking it. That would be cool.

Hehe, I also haven't been able to find a gland that I could pass through a USB cable that already has connectors soldered on both ends. I found some picture on the 'net previously that looks like a gland that you could pop onto a cable without removing connectors on the ends, but I haven't found a shop that actually sells them.

Those in the video are a lot more blunt than the ones you linked... here is the Tamiya model I would suggest, although they might even be too blunt. There's tons of different tweezers tho. Something more blunt than what you linked, perhaps less blunt than mine

Those in the video are a lot more blunt than the ones you linked... here is the Tamiya model I would suggest, although they might even be too blunt. There's tons of different tweezers tho. Something more blunt than what you linked, perhaps less blunt than mine

That should be good then, thanks for the link!

The tips look kind of wide in the picture, wonder if it will slide into the holes in the switch

This electronics/micro-controller stuff is all quite new to me. I've done a little soldering practice now, but really wanted to dive into the controller programming and circuit testing before I get into my keyboard project. pjrc (the company that makes the teensy) offers some starter kits. It turns out that they are based in Sherwood, which is just outside of Portland, OR (where I am). So my order was effectively next day!

Teensy's are SMALL! Going to hook it up tonight and start playing with it. I've got a breadboard and some components too.

I'm thinking about making a case out of fiberglass. I don't own a Filco and it's much cheaper for me to make my own case (free actually since I'm an automotive painter with free supplies). I've worked with fiberglass on automotive paint repair before so I think I have what it takes. I'll probably fabricate the case out of clay or foam or something and then make a mold. Anyone else done something like this? I wonder how hard carbon fiber would be to work with, on second thought. There are so many car modification blogs and forums with DIY instructions for making custom carbon fiber parts...

If someone has a Filco case who would like to take on a project like this too, don't throw away your mold if you make one.

are we still debating wobblilililiity? seriously guys, it's a keyboard.

question for litster: how did you get usb out on your plexi cases? did you do a small l-style cable from the teensy?

I don't think we are debating. We just want to know what really is going on under the keycaps. It is all for good fun. It was the first time I shot videos with my 100mm macro lens on my 5D Mark II. That was pretty fun.

What is an I-style cable? I am just using a regular USB to mini USB cable. One of the lower layers has a cut out that fits the Filco keyboard's USB cable's gland. I am still looking for glands that can be popped onto and existing USB cable or a USB cable with a built-in gland.

A gland is an organ in an animal's body that synthesizes a substance for release of substances such as hormones or breast milk, often into the bloodstream (endocrine gland) or into cavities inside the body or its outer surface (exocrine gland).

I just learned about cable glands last week or so from the Phantom group buy thread. There are a couple pictures there.

I'm thinking about making a case out of fiberglass. I don't own a Filco and it's much cheaper for me to make my own case (free actually since I'm an automotive painter with free supplies). I've worked with fiberglass on automotive paint repair before so I think I have what it takes. I'll probably fabricate the case out of clay or foam or something and then make a mold. Anyone else done something like this? I wonder how hard carbon fiber would be to work with, on second thought. There are so many car modification blogs and forums with DIY instructions for making custom carbon fiber parts...

If someone has a Filco case who would like to take on a project like this too, don't throw away your mold if you make one.

You could buy a PLU for 1/3-1/2 the cost of a Filco that would probably be your best bet.

You can get a PLU for pretty good price from qtan. I think TheProfosist bought 3 from qtan and qtan told him that he would give others similar pricing. You get switches from a PLU as well, you just have to desolder them off of the PCB.

You can get a PLU for pretty good price from qtan. I think TheProfosist bought 3 from qtan and qtan told him that he would give others similar pricing. You get switches from a PLU as well, you just have to desolder them off of the PCB.

Yea the price was $68 before shipping. Was a white one with blues pm or post in his forum for a quote for the case color and switch type that you want.